Finally taking a breath she told, “I’ve been seeing things that I shouldn’t be seeing and they’re all things I can’t explain nor can I find an explanation for. I also believe that it’s not just happening to me but to the others as well. Weird things happen as well and they’re all frightening.” Taeyeon turned away then turned back to glance at the monk who seemed to be listening well. “You said…before that…this area has many spirits, but I’m positive that we haven’t done anything to offend anyone…so why…”

“Is this what’s been bothering you?” the monk asked.

Taeyeon looked at him feeling her confidence climbing up the ladder and it promted her to say, “There’s something strange about this place and you’re hiding it from us, aren’t you?”

The monk’s face expression changed to one that seemed to be warning her to think before she’d say something again. And it was an unkind warning.

“You told me to say whatever I have in mind.” Taeyeon recalled.

“You’re a strong one to be saying such things,” the monk commented sitting up. “Alright, since you say that I guess telling you this should not hurt you in anyway.”

Taeyeon waited.

“You and your friends should have never come here,” he started seriously, “I warned Paula but she insisted it would be alright, it’s been a decade anyhow, that’s what she said. It’s her mansion so I have no right in interference to what they decide. You guys aren’t welcomed here.”

The last sentence gave Taeyeon goosebumps. “W…why?”

“It’s not us, we certainly do welcome you. That’s why I offered to assist you if any of you needed it,” the monk explained.

“Then who…”

“Someone who thinks you’re unpleasant.” the monk generally stated.

Taeyeon felt her eyebrows curb down. The monk was trying to hint her the answer without saying it aloud. Why?

“I want to talk to you about something in return,” the monk stated.

Taeyeon wanted to go on because they hadn’t finished talking about what she’d come to talk about. Because the monk was like an uncle she didn’t feel like she should speak up against him anymore than she already had. In another way it felt like he was forcibly talking to her.

“I want to talk to you about Changmin.”

His name immediately caught her attention. Taeyeon felt her ears stand out ready to listen to whatever he was going to tell her.

“Don’t look for Changmin anymore, even if he looks for you.” the monk said. “As an elder to you both I am advising you this if you don’t want to get hurt and if you don’t want him to get hurt.”

She felt speechless.

“That boy…is innocent in all of this. Don’t trample on that fact,” the monk stated, “I am sorry if this news hurts you, but the hurt cannot be avoided. In order to prevent the larger amount of pain that would land upon you all please don’t see him.”

Taeyeon didn’t know what just hit her. She felt total shock and her mind was blank as if all thoughts and ideas had been pushed out. It was as if she’d lost the total ability to think.

The monk continued to watch her and gave her a small bow before getting up signaling that their meeting was over. Taeyeon finally forced herself up a minute later, put on her shoes, and walked out the door. When the sun landed on her face she felt blinded by it. Quickly turning her face away Taeyeon found herself staring lifelessly at the ground. It dawned on her that she felt hurt by the monk’s words of “so called advice”. Shaking her head she began walking forward.

“Taeyeon!” a voice called from somewhere.

Taeyeon stopped in her steps by the trees and looked everywhere.

“Taeyeon!” it came again and it sounded very familiar.

Taeyeon turned to look behind her, saw no one, and turned around with a frown.

“Over here!” the voice beckoned.

Taeyeon finally glanced at Changmin’s house to her left and saw an open window.

“I’m in here!” he waved to her from the window at ground level.

Bending her knees a bit she glanced down and saw Changmin in the dim basement. She felt delighted at just seeing him and for that moment she forgot the monk’s earlier words.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He held up a notepad, “A chore.”

“Chore?”

“Hold on a bit, I’ll sneak my way out,” he told then looked around him.

“No,” Taeyeon stopped him.

Changmin turned around to look at her. “Why?”

Taeyeon glanced around the ground as if she’d find her answer there, “I…I have to go now. I can’t hang around.”

“Already?” he asked disappointed and hearing him disappointed made her heart sink. “Did something come up at the mansion?”

“Uh…yea…” Taeyeon lied. “I’ll catch you later.”

Quickly turning around Taeyeon began to walk away and she didn’t miss hearing him shout, “W…wait!”

Quickening her pace Taeyeon began at a slow jog then began running toward the mansion. If she ran far, would the hurt ease? When she turned around the bend to the mansion Taeyeon stopped to catch her breath. Slowly squatting down by the parked van Taeyeon buried her face into her knees wondering what just happened. She had just gone to get a few answers to her questions but in return she received a “so called advice”.

“Don’t look for Changmin anymore, even if he looks for you.” the monk said. “As an elder to you both I am advising you this if you don’t want to get hurt and if you don’t want him to get hurt.”

What…did that mean? Taeyeon wasn’t sure, but it was only one simple thing. The monk didn’t like her being around his nephew…and why did it hurt so much?

;;;;;

They’d all grabbed snacks and were all sitting around the kitchen or either the living room lazing around after all the pool work. They’d finally drained the pool after finding a switch behind a bush, which they searched almost half an hour for. Curious when he found that Taeyeon wasn’t back Leeteuk headed for the front door and stood on the stairs staring ahead at the road with an apple in his hand. He’d been munching on it peacefully when he thought he sighted something by the van. Walking down the stairs quietly expecting to find a wild animal he stopped when he saw Taeyeon hugging herself. She looked…pitiful.

“I was wondering where you went,” Leeteuk said squatting next to her, “don’t tell me that you were out here hiding while we were all working our backs off.”

Taeyeon lifted her head up and looked at him. She didn’t seem to care about the fact that he was trying to annoy her. Yet, it was visible that she was upset over something. As she got up to walk away Leeteuk felt taken aback by just watching her.

“Where are you going?” he asked quickly following her toward the house.

“I want to be alone,” Taeyeon replied without turning around.

“How are you going to be alone when there’s so many of us in the house?” Leeteuk questioned.

 Taeyeon eventually ignored him, however, he decided to keep pestering her. When they walked down the hall he jumped onto the staircase ahead of her to stop her from going up. He finally met with her blank stare she was using to cover up some other feelings. Taeyeon gave up without word and turned her face away.

“You, didn’t by any chance, go over there, did you?” he asked gesturing his head toward the road.

Taeyeon turned to look back up at him angrily. “What’s it got to do with wherever I go?! Why do you care about where I go? What if I do go over there? Do you have a problem with it, you jerk?!”

A deep frown was inscribed on her furious face. Leeteuk finally began wondering what happened.

“What’s going on?” Junsu suddenly appeared from down the hallway.

Zhoumi and Jang Hyuk appeared from behind him. Taeyeon turned her face away from them all feeling frustrated. Without a word Taeyeon walked back out the front door.

“Where’s she going?” Junsu asked.

“What’s going on, man?” Jang Hyuk wondered turning to look at Leeteuk, whose eyes were facing the direction which Taeyeon had run.

Stepping down the staircase Leeteuk handed Zhoumi his apple quickly saying, “Throw it away for me. I’ll be back.”

“Wait! Where are you going?!” Zhoumi shouted.

Leeteuk ran down the drive to find Taeyeon making her way through some of the bushes down the side of the road. Instead of stopping her Leeteuk slowed down some few feet behind her to follow her so that she wouldn’t cuss at him again if he were to make her come to a stop. If she noticed that he was behind her she didn’t say anything.

She was deathly silent among the thin trees stretching up into the sky. None other than the birds chirped. Trees blossomed wildly around them and Leeteuk could just imagine all of the strange things that could be growing amongst the weeds. Turning his attention forward he spotted a flower garden not too far away from them. When they neared it he could hear the rush of water coming from beyond the garden. He suddenly recognized it as the area where he had been trying to eavesdrop on them but instead had landed into the shallow river. Why was Taeyeon coming here?

Taeyeon crossed the garden and made her way to the edge of the river slowly crouching down to let her hands run through the cool water. Leeteuk, who had stopped in the middle of the garden just watched her as if he were lost in thought. It wasn’t that he was lost in thought, it was that the area felt so familiar. Turning around he allowed his eyes to gather in all the surroundings. It was peaceful and gave off the feeling of being in harmony. What exactly was this place? Bright flashes appeared in his head and he could hear the laughter of children chasing each other in the midst of the garden and jumping into the river to cool themselves down from the summer heat.

The sound of a loud splash in the water brought him back to reality and he suddenly turned to see Taeyeon, who had slightly turned around now, looking at him. The image transitioned into a girl in a knee length white dress staring back at him. Her long black hair ran loosely, but neatly over her shoulders. She stared back at him with a glad smile and during that moment he felt like he really knew her.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“You followed me, why are you saying that?” Taeyeon said in reply.

And just like that Taeyeon reappeared in front of him. His eyebrows twitched and all of a sudden he became lightheaded. Everything around him suddenly became white and Leeteuk felt himself topple onto the ground.

;;;;;

Taeyeon didn’t move from where she was. At first it seemed like a joke but Leeteuk never got up from where he had fallen. Alarmed she stepped away from the water and rushed into the garden. Who ever imagined that flowers could become knee length high and bury someone underneath them? Allowing her eyes to quickly skim the ground she finally spotted Leeteuk in his blue t-shirt lying unconsciously on the ground.

“Leeteuk!” she shouted with her hands above his shoulders unsure of how to get him up.

Funny scenes passed through her mind but she was unable to laugh in the spur of the moment. Getting on her knees she slipped her arms under his arms and struggled to pull him up. She ended up getting him up both unsuccessfully and successfully. Leeteuk heavily fell against her with his head drooping over her shoulder and his arms lay dead at his sides. She was pretty sure that the flowers underneath her were now 100% crushed to death. It was impossible for her to try to get up. Leeteuk was heavier than she had thought him to be.

“Leeteuk, yah!” she called out. “Park Jung Su!”

He didn’t move but lay lifelessly against her. Was he breathing? Yes, she could still feel his chest moving up and down in a patterned manner. Why had he suddenly knocked out? While she sat there her mind suddenly spaced out.

***What does the monk's "words of advice" mean? And who is this 'someone' that is displeased with them coming to the village?

***Leeteuk saw someone else as Taeyeon for a moment! 0.0

***:( Taeyeon is saddened by the monk's "words of advice"

***Next chapter begins with a bit of Taeyeon's revealed past!

====Oh yes, The Last Exorcism was a total bummer. It started off well, got really scary toward the middle that I screamed a couple of times and had to turn away from the screen, but the ending just ruined it. So therefore, while I am still a bit scared myself and paranoid I'd have to say Emily Rose was a lot better (even though i had to watch it like 3 times and it scared the sh*t out of me each time The Last Exorcism did not play that kind of horror on me). Anyhow, anyone planning to go watch Paranomal Activity for Halloween? xD I know I'll probably go with my brothers xD